← Forward Progress - A Chicago Bears Podcast
Forward Progress - A Chicago Bears Podcast
NFL Championship weekend - you taking Mike or Sean?
00:47:19
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- [00:00]
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- [00:02]
Dan Bernstein
Can I make my site softer? Can I make my site firmer? Can we sleep cooler?
- [00:06]
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- [00:32]
Matt Abeticola
I mean, if you're a Bears fan, you're thinking forward progress. Come on. Forward Progress Chicago Bears podcast with Dan Bernstein and Matt Abeticola on 312 sports.
- [00:54]
Dan Bernstein
We give you forward progress here on 312 sports. And we generally talk Chicago Bears as we been doing, taking you through what has been the denouement of a remarkable season in a lot of ways. And that's where it, it gets interesting. As we get into championship weekend here, especially with the weather that's going on and feeling like we're all just kind of stuck in our cozy homes for a couple of days here with nothing to do but watch these games and these teams that remain, we're all kind of torn because, look, we're going to watch and we're going to be excited about it and it's going to be interesting football in its own right for the most part, but for the first time in a while, it does give us that phantom pain a little bit of not having another Bears game to which to look forward of not having these teams that we're turning on. It's a weird place to be because generally we're used to this not being the Bears. We're not even thinking about the possibility that one of these teams could or should be the Bears, depending on how you feel. But I, I know I'm going to get over it, and I know I'm going to be able to enjoy this and the super bowl for what it is.
- [02:04]
Matt Abeticola
Yeah, I've actually, I've gotten over it. I'm good. I think the, the press conference and hearing from Bears leadership kind of put a nice little bow on things for me that they're not stupid, they're not idiots, they're not morons. They watch the same games that we watched. They said all the right things. So I was good. I was good. I mean, that, the disappointment of losing that, that Rams game where I think they actually gave the game away, I'm over that. The fact that There's NFC championship games happening now, this, this weekend with, with Seattle and, and the Rams. I'm good to go. I'm good to go to watch it. I think again, the way they closed out the season for me, the leadership, it was the first time in my life that I could say, hey, that was really good. They said all the right things. It's pointed in the right direction. I'm ready to go. Where I'm at already is. I'm already looking forward to what's the next thing for the Bear schedule. And I know Ben Johnson told Caleb Williams and the rest of his staff and the rest of the players to disengage, get away from football and reset a little bit. I don't have that luxury. I'm ready to go. Like, what's the next thing that we discuss as far as the Bears are concerned?
- [03:13]
Dan Bernstein
Well, I liked the fact that Ben Johnson said that, that Caleb needs to get away from football for a little bit. It is great advice. And I first heard it when just being a dad, a sports dad. And I first heard it when jay was like 7 or 8 and he had finished fall baseball and it was a pretty competitive fall baseball league and he was eight because it was the first year of travel baseball. And then after travel ball, they're trying to put together all these fall teams. I didn't even know what fall baseball was because I didn't play it. And they're just sort of into this like, okay, well now we got to do this. And now these travel kids have to go play fall and keep this up. And it was a lot. And the coach, when their season ended and in the playoffs and the coach was great, very experienced coach I believe. And he just said, hey, here's what I want you to do. I want you to take your baseball bag and put it in the basement and put it in the garage and forget about it for a while and just don't worry about it. And what we learned was that the multi sport kids had no problem doing that because you already had the other coaches saying, well, when does he come to practice? When is he doing this? And it took a little bit for it to start. You know, once hockey is going and then it's just right into that again, which is great for kids to have something else and to be able to have all of this out of sight, out of mind. And ideally for these professionals, go sit on a beach, go play golf, go fishing, do something. And as much as we, the scouting report say, loves football, loves football, all about football, constantly Talking about football, you don't want somebody who's a maniac. You want somebody who's well adjusted.
- [04:58]
Matt Abeticola
Yeah, no, absolutely. And I think even if it's not going anywhere, it's just not doing anything physical for a while. Just go and lay down in a nice comfy bed and stay there for a week or two and then figure out where your vacation is going to be or your next event or outing or dinner or whatever it is you're going to do with the family or friends. Just go and relax for a while. If there's no treatment needed, there's no therapy needed, you're not getting surgery. Just go and soak in a bubble bath and then sleep in your bed for a week or two.
- [05:29]
Dan Bernstein
Well, did you watch Caleb, like walking around at any of these games?
- [05:34]
Matt Abeticola
Yeah. He looked like he was a 65.
- [05:36]
Dan Bernstein
Year old man who just, he didn't miss any time. This guy didn't miss a practice. And I can't even begin to think, I don't care if you're 23 years old, that going through what he went through and what they won't tell us about every NFL season. You're right. Like have a couple of decent meals and sit in a hot tub and let your body recover.
- [06:03]
Matt Abeticola
Yeah, I mean, he took every snap except those final seven minutes or so that Lions game. He was there for every snap. And he's been there, you know, since the start of, of his rookie season. He's been there with the exception of that, that Lions game in week two. So, yeah, just go and relax and take some time, not only physically, but mentally, just to let it all go. The only, the only thing I'm disappointed about at the end of the season is the DJ Moore stuff. That's it. And I just, I'm, I'm curious to see how that all plays out, that we haven't heard from DJ Moore and there really wasn't anything further outside of what we heard on the explanation of that last play. And you know, Ben Johnson, Caleb Williams, DJ Moore, they honestly don't owe us an explanation. They don't, they don't have to. They, they don't owe us anything as fans, I get you can argue that and say they certainly do because we pay, some of us pay for tickets, some of us don't. But I would have preferred, given everything that Ben Johnson had started this year, as far as developing a culture of transparency and honesty with the media and with the fan base, I would have preferred to hear something more than all of the former players and speculation and guys on TV and guys on radio and guys doing podcasts saying this is what my eyes saw. I would like to hear definitively what happened more than just a miscommunication. Caleb stumbling over that word several times. I really want to know what went wrong on that play. And again, Ben Johnson doesn't owe me an explanation. He doesn't say. He doesn't need to come out and say, yeah, DJ Was the number one receiver or Rome was number one there or the checkdown was number one and Caleb did this or saw this or saw that. But I would have liked to have heard that because that's the way the season ended and I want to know if my eyes were correct or if there's more to it. And just not hearing anything more definitive was a disappointment in the end for me.
- [08:01]
Dan Bernstein
And what's going to happen because we didn't get closure. And like you say, it's not. We're not clamoring to be owed that right? But because we didn't, it does throw into focus the contract situation as it's reasonable to examine the NFL team's costs here and who is being paid, how much guaranteed money has already been paid and where are the big price tags if you are looking to save money. And Brad Biggs did that with the Tribune. That was the first name on top of his list because it's the most money. It's D.J. moore at $28.5 million. He listed 13 players, not including Caleb Williams, with a cap hit for next year above 8 million. And because DJ Moore was signed to that four year $110 million extension last July or July of 24, I should say the Bears aren't going to save any money off the cap by anything but a trade. And because of his salary, it's probably unlikely they're going to get a ton back. He's not a real valuable trade piece right now. Anybody getting him would pay him 24 and a half next year. It would have to be out of real need to try to create that cap space.
- [09:24]
Matt Abeticola
The only scenario I see that works out in the Bears favor is a restructuring the contract and I don't see D.J. and his agent wanting or allowing that to happen. But I mean, you can't be the highest paid guy in the team and not be the number one wide receiver. You just can't.
- [09:41]
Dan Bernstein
And if you want that list in order, These are the 13 players with the biggest cap hits, all above 8 million. It's more at 28. 5. Sweat at 25. 1. Jalen Johnson at 25 Tuney at 21 1/2 Odengbo 20.5 Jonah Jackson 19 1/2 Grady Jarrett 19 Tremaine Edmonds 17.4 Dolman 14 Gordon 13.3 Commit 11.6 Edwards and now that gets complicated by his broken leg. That's a 10.8. And DeAndre Swift at 8.8. I don't think all of those people will be back.
- [10:23]
Matt Abeticola
I agree with that.
- [10:25]
Dan Bernstein
It just would be unlikely. And whatever they. Whatever and however, I don't know. But looking at those 13 and certainly they aren't going to be back on those deals as currently constructed, as currently structured, to use the word that you used. And it's not a bad thing. It's not a good thing. It's just a fact of life in the NFL that they're going to move some of this around and they may have to make some decisions as they they try to stay young and viable and take what they learned about this year's team and try to apply it with however they're going to build it out.
- [11:00]
Matt Abeticola
Yeah, a couple other things I just want to point out real quick about this season and we're talking about contracts. Nishan Wright, I saw an article on NFL.com one of the seven players they highlighted from around the league that are looking to get not looking to but but should get a big contract. These are seven players that made a name for themselves that aren't paid, that weren't paid in 24, that are 25. I'm sorry. And expect to get big contracts offered. So Nishan Wright with five interceptions, second on the team, 11 pass breakups. He had 31 stops on the run game. So that's fourth most of all cornerbacks in the NFL. So he had himself a really good season. I just don't know if I'm paying that if I'm paying to Sean. Right. 12, 13, 14, $15 million season.
- [11:44]
Dan Bernstein
You can't. I. What did I I mean, reading through these Numbers, if Jalen Johnson's at 25 and Kyler Gordon is at 13.3, that's two of your three starting corners who are already making bank. You're not going to pay a third.
- [11:59]
Matt Abeticola
Yeah.
- [12:00]
Dan Bernstein
You're just not especially off of one year's worth of performance.
- [12:04]
Matt Abeticola
And I think what we discussed about Nishan Wright the other day is allow him to go out in a free agency and see what might be there and if the Bears can do something that's favorable for the player and the organization. Yeah, I'm not opposed to him coming back but just not at a big contract. He just can't, can't do it.
- [12:20]
Dan Bernstein
Something else I wanted to bring up as we're looking at what's going on around the NFL and this seemed a little bit strange, but where Mike McDaniel had appeared to agree to become the Chargers offensive coordinator, that now we're learning, that's only after he exhausts head coaching possibilities and opportunities, which they're allowing him to do. He's talking to the Bills and he's interviewed with the Falcons, the Ravens, the Browns, the Raiders and the Titans and then withdrew from the Browns coaching search. The vacancy of the previous interviews is Las Vegas, but now the Bills. So we're, we're going to find out what's going on. This is a fallback for him. He will be able to become the Chargers OC in if indeed he doesn't get a head coaching job. That's the way it's being explained right now. And I'm reading this off the CBS Sports website, but I don't think it's really newsworthy. But the fact that Josh Allen is said now to be significantly involved in the process, I don't think that should really ruffle any feathers right now. Why? Why shouldn't the most important person in your organization have some kind of say.
- [13:39]
Matt Abeticola
Yeah, the, the owner came out and said that he'll be not only a part of it, but he'll make the decision on who the next head coach is. Yeah, whatever. If you're the owner who sounds like a buffoon anyway, you want to go ahead and do that, go ahead and do that.
- [13:51]
Dan Bernstein
Well, he shouldn't make that. I'm not, I'm not turning over control of a coaching hire to my quarterback.
- [13:56]
Matt Abeticola
Well, if you're giving him any kind of influence to it, I just. Yeah, but whatever. You want to do that, you're at your team, go ahead and do it. But you failed to mention who else interviewed for the Buffalo Bills head coaching job.
- [14:06]
Dan Bernstein
O', Brien, Daboll and Joe Brady and Philip Rivers.
- [14:13]
Matt Abeticola
Philip Rivers. I don't know if he has or is going to, but ESPN has reported that Philip Rivers will interview or has interviewed for the head coaching position for the Buffalo Bills. So former high school head football coach Philip Rivers is getting a look from Buffalo. All right.
- [14:31]
Dan Bernstein
This has been a bad few days for the leadership of the Buffalo Bills.
- [14:36]
Matt Abeticola
Yes, it has. It certainly has.
- [14:38]
Dan Bernstein
It really has been bad. And the memes have been flying right and left, but they, you know, they fire a coach and then they have a press conference in which the fired coach ends up looking even better than before with the clown show that they put out of the press conference and the way they timed the announcement that Josh Allen has some involvement in, some say was almost face saving. It's almost like they used him as a shield to then hide behind the most popular part of your organization and say don't worry, don't worry, these idiots aren't in charge and we're going to talk to him. And it all seems like cheap, unfortunate damage control.
- [15:18]
Matt Abeticola
No, it certainly does. And if you're trying to say, hey, the idiots aren't in charge, here's Philip Rivers for an interview like, okay, what are we doing?
- [15:26]
Dan Bernstein
No, it reminds me of when out of nowhere with the Texans. Remember when Josh McCown was getting all that look back during the like Jack Easterby craziness that was happening there and out of a guy who similarly coaching high school like, oh, we'll make make Josh McCown the head coach. To not to have the Bears not involved in that is, is really great. To have them not part of NFL stupid right now is great. And to have a just a simple post season press conference, here's what we're on, here's what we're doing. We'll talk more when it's time to talk more. And, and like we said during dbu, we read an email from somebod usually they're way ahead in thinking about the draft and they just realized, oh my gosh, the Bears, the Bears season just came to an end and they hadn't given any thought yet to what was happening in the draft.
- [16:16]
Matt Abeticola
And I think it's, it's interesting what I've seen the last couple days from Ben Johnson's comments about how you don't build momentum season to season and we're one of the 31 teams and it starts from scratch and we have to start over again. Little bit of not outright full on shots and criticism, Adam, but people questioning that kind of philosophy or perspective that he has. And I don't, I don't get the people questioning it. I don't understand it because he's not wrong. He's 100% accurate. And not only did he say it, but Caleb Williams said it, Cole Comet said it. It's about each season being a part of itself and there is no building on. And I like his perspective. I like the fact that he didn't rest on what they accomplished even if they exceeded expectations. He didn't rest on that and say, hey, wow, look at me. I'm also an AP finalist for coach of the year. And look how great we did this year. And no one thought we'd get this far. No. We're one of the 31 teams that failed. We did great, but it wasn't good enough. I'm on to 2026.
- [17:17]
Dan Bernstein
It is about damn time, right?
- [17:19]
Matt Abeticola
I don't understand why that's a negative perspective.
- [17:22]
Dan Bernstein
I haven't heard who said that.
- [17:23]
Matt Abeticola
I've seen it on Twitter from different beat reporters and again and again, not coming out and saying, oh, I can't believe he said this or this is wrong, but like, you know, with a winky eye and a question mark, kind of like, oh, here's what Ben Johnson had to say. Kind of like, what do you think of this? Instead of going full out and saying, I think he's wrong or I disagree with him, it just kind of throw it out there.
- [17:44]
Dan Bernstein
Well, nobody was better than Matt Nagy at giving us empty platitudes and giving us the bright side of everything and talking in sort of vague blandishments. Nobody was better than the Bears at trying to find reasons to justify not moves the Bears were. It's one of the few things the Bears were great at for a long time. The famous quote by. By Ted Phillips that we've referenced innumerable times, which is, did we get the quarterback right?
- [18:17]
Matt Abeticola
No.
- [18:17]
Dan Bernstein
Did we win enough games? No. But everything else is. Is. Is okay. Something to that effect, which is on its face preposterous that you. You don't have the quarterback and you didn't win enough games. Stop there. Stop.
- [18:32]
Matt Abeticola
That means everything else is okay, though.
- [18:34]
Dan Bernstein
So that means nothing else is.
- [18:35]
Matt Abeticola
Like, we had. We had a really good culture and the cafeteria food was delicious.
- [18:40]
Dan Bernstein
It wasn't, though. We learned.
- [18:41]
Matt Abeticola
We learned it wasn't in the face during the weight rooms and no one shot each other at a gun range.
- [18:45]
Dan Bernstein
I mean, everything was great. This is based on the recent. And that was when the thing was going out of the gun range, they went to the Super Bowl.
- [18:53]
Matt Abeticola
Correct.
- [18:54]
Dan Bernstein
So that. That didn't even like. That was one of the best teams of Bears have had in forever. When they're punching each other and getting drunk and shooting guns or whatever it was they were doing.
- [19:03]
Matt Abeticola
Yes.
- [19:04]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah. Boy, that was still can't believe that was allowed to have happened. But I guess it was different times. Simpler times indeed. But yeah.
- [19:12]
Matt Abeticola
So I just love that Ben Johnson said that. I love that that's his perspective because he's right. And it's about time we don't settle for, oh, it was good but not good enough. But it was still good. And yeah, look how good we did. We won 11 games. No one thought we would. No one thought we'd win the division, and we did. It wasn't good enough. And the head coach said it. And that's it right there.
- [19:32]
Dan Bernstein
Period. Well, you can't be the same team that fired Lovey smith after a 10, six season and then say anything else. You can't be. You can't. You. You can't stand in front of people after you told Lovey the team went 10 and 6. Like, you know what? I know you went 10 and 6, but that's not good enough. Then you. There's. I think it would be disingenuous to have this kind of reaction to what Ben Johnson is saying. There's no counter argument, like, to, to actually do that, to sort of snarkily suggest, I don't know what's going on with this Ben Johnson guy. He's. That's his. He's pretty tough on him. He's not enjoying this enough. Well, really, like, argue against that. Go. Go make that case. Make that case to somebody who's actually competitive, who really does wake up every day driven as much as Ben Johnson does. I don't think it's a bit. I don't think it's an act.
- [20:25]
Matt Abeticola
Oh, I agree.
- [20:26]
Dan Bernstein
And then make that case with him. You tell him he's wrong. He didn't want to hear it.
- [20:31]
Matt Abeticola
Right. And until they win a Super bowl, it's never going to be good enough. Your good gets better. Your better gets best. And Bears on four.
- [20:39]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah, there's a. There's a difference between being competitive and being insane. And there are some guys who are like. I don't want to use that term too flippantly. I mean, there are hyper competitive coaches who are incapable of enjoying anything and who will never understand what it means to have won something. Like when and if Tom Thibodeau ever wins a title, he'll be happy. For one second.
- [21:07]
Matt Abeticola
He'll.
- [21:07]
Dan Bernstein
He'll go instantly back to being miserable. You.
- [21:10]
Matt Abeticola
Did you hear any of Jeff Hathley's press conference with the Dolphins being interested in the head coach?
- [21:16]
Dan Bernstein
Not yet, no.
- [21:17]
Matt Abeticola
Okay. So I heard a little bits and pieces of it and talked about at one point when he was an assistant coach for college somewhere. I can't remember what school it was. Darn it. He. He said for the, like, the two years he was there, he, like, he was the guy that slept under his desk and he's going to give everything over to football. And he's like, I missed family functions, family weddings and friends and this and that. And I was going to give it everything and see where it takes me. That, that is, that's the far extreme of it that you don't want like, you don't want a guy like that, that has zero balance or zero life outside of the building. I don't think that's healthy for that guy. And I don't know how long term that can actually function or sustain. But a guy like Ben Johnson, who is ultra competitive but still has that balance, which is why you mentioned, and I love the fact that he said to Caleb Williams, I told him to disengage, just go, forget about it for a while, don't think about football. And when you come back, we're going to have all the things that, that he needs to do to take the next step in the following season. But right now, just go away.
- [22:22]
Dan Bernstein
That's where. When a coach understands that the performative aspect of hard work isn't as important as the quality of the work, I think we've moved past that. And I don't think on the one side, when you get a guy like Steve Spurrier who's going to be cracking beers at 11 in the morning and then leaving after practice and with his golf club slung over his shoulder. And between that and Dick Vermeil, who was just an emotional wreck all the time because his only life was living through football, I think a good example currently. I mean, there's a lot of guys who are good examples who are able to understand some of this stuff. But the way Kurt Signetti does it at Indiana, the way he talks about practices and the speed and efficiency of the practice and the quality of the work matters more than the quantity of. And it's really been cool to hear some of that discussed. When they do man's 90 minute practices, every bit is, is absolutely timed and they always, they don't want to get guys hurt. And he's not, you know, we're going to run this six times until we get it right. They have the, Everything has to be maximum intensity, but it doesn't have to run long as long as everybody is understanding everything and they don't want to waste any time.
- [23:45]
Matt Abeticola
Did you, did I send you that thing from Instagram? The guy talking about Kurt Signetti and Indiana, Indiana and how they had like grown men and dads?
- [23:55]
Dan Bernstein
They kind of did.
- [23:56]
Matt Abeticola
Did you see that thing I sent you?
- [23:57]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah.
- [23:58]
Matt Abeticola
Okay. That was hysterical. He's talking about, he was like that he's like, you got a picture of a guy, I don't know if he's a defensive lineman, offensive lineman. He's like, he's like, he's got kids, he's going through a divorce, he's got a mortgage. He's like, that ain't no college age, kid.
- [24:12]
Dan Bernstein
Well, that's a market inefficiency. It is. That's. You don't have that in the NFL, you know, but the. That is absolutely. Currently and for another time and probably for dbu. We need to discuss what is happening right now with. With professional basketball players now thanks to some. The. Some decisions that are coming down. Being allowed to go back and play in college in games that count. What are we doing? A guy's walking out of his deal in the G League and going to play in college. Yeah. For Alabama in games that come out like, I don't. And they're preventing the NCAA from doing anything about it, which we're out of people to root for and root against in this. But I think even a reasonable person can see that this stuff is getting kind of wild. And I don't know where football is going to go. But I think in general, when it comes to being an attractive place to ply your trade and make it to the NFL, the idea that you're not just constantly practicing hours and hours and hours is a draw. And if you're a coach who's just better at practicing and people can live their lives, man, more power to you at any level of the sport.
- [25:23]
Matt Abeticola
Couple other things too, just to kind of wrap up, as you know, on DBU on Fridays, we do Friday feedback Friday. Just a couple of comments from our shows during this week on forward progress. When we were discussing Theo Benedict and the fact that he wasn't good enough to start the game on. On Sunday against the Rams. And they moved Joe Tuney over and just kind of questioned that and the whole process behind it and how that disrupted the interior of the line possibly. And I made a comment that if. If he's not good enough to start, then he shouldn't be there. Now I just want to click because we had a couple comments on YouTube and just want to. And we don't take calls, we don't interact with. With listeners outside of emails and comments. So I just want to kind of, kind of talk through that a little bit. I'm not advocating to get rid of Theo Benedict, that I don't think he could be a player that can be helpful as a starter or a swing tackle. My whole Process was thinking through that and what happened and watching it again, thinking through it after the fact. I know Jared Verse is a, is a good, he's a good player and he, he had seven and a half sacks. He was, I think 11th or 12th overall in, in total pressures as a defensive player. I get that seven and a half sacks on the season. If your backup, your designated backup tackle is not good enough to compete against certain levels of competition, I just question, why is he on the roster? I wasn't advocating to get rid of Theo Benedict. It just didn't make sense to me. Roster spots are, are very precious and they're limited, you know, and why have a guy on there if he can't compete against certain levels of talent? If a guy is your backup and is unable to go on a certain week and say, oh, our starters hurt, but gosh, you know what? We can't use our backup this week because the guys he's playing against are just too good and they're going to beat him pretty bad and they're going to push him into Caleb. We can't have that. So let's, let's alter the line and what we do with our other starters. That doesn't make sense to me. That's all I'm saying about it. I'm not advocating to get rid of him. I think he has a potential to develop and grow and we saw some good, good games from him, especially in run blocking. But if he's your backup and he's not good enough against certain talent, why is he on the roster? That's all, that's all I was saying.
- [27:31]
Dan Bernstein
You know, I always make fun of the, the reflex of saying next man up and, well, we have a next man up mentality. Of course you do, you know, because you, you have, somebody has to play the position.
- [27:44]
Matt Abeticola
Right.
- [27:44]
Dan Bernstein
It goes without saying that this team, you know, we worked hard to put this roster together and we believe everybody. And there are some great stories in football every year, every single year. DeMarco Jackson, great story this year. Guys bounced around the back end of teams, ends up being NFC defensive player of the week and just playing really well and doing some things. You know, the whole Nishan Wright story, every team's got a Jordan McFadden at the end of the year was a nice story. A guy comes off a practice squad. But there's a reason why people generally start. And if you especially, especially when you trust your coach and if you trust your coach, that coach is going to have the better player start. It isn't basketball where you need to be aware of your second unit and how they're going to perform against the other team's second unit in a given game, in every game that you play. It's not like that. It is not like a bullpen in baseball where everybody on your roster is going to matter. The starters are better than your reserves and the next man in, next man up is generally not as good as the guy before him. This was a classic case of, you know, next man up. Not so fast.
- [28:49]
Matt Abeticola
Right?
- [28:50]
Dan Bernstein
Not so fast. Next man. I know you're supposed to be on the depth chart but we'd rather take our left guard and move our left guard to your position and promote a guy off the practice squad who doesn't, who's never ever played next to our terrific center. And maybe it's going to the communication that we always talk about isn't going to be its best and this center may not have his best possible game because of all these different moves that we made. Still think it is a reasonable line of questioning and or criticism to make those moves.
- [29:27]
Matt Abeticola
And then last thing too, there was a few comments about Caleb Williams completion percentage and you know, I just, I don't understand. I think, well, I'm going to me personally, I'm just going to put a bow on it here and wrap it up for good. The quarterback and the head coach himself talked about it needs to get better. If you still as a fan can't understand that then there's no point continue to talk about it with you and just leave your comments alone then please. Because the quarterback said what he needs to work on for next year is footwork and percentage, his completions and how.
- [29:59]
Dan Bernstein
One affects the other.
- [30:00]
Matt Abeticola
The head coach said that as well too. The guy had a great year. One of the best years he's going to be. He already is the most talented, best quarterback the Bears have ever had in their franchise history and he's only played two years after next season for completing three seasons. Was looking at some numbers, Dan. He's going to be in the top 12, maybe top 10 in passing yards in the first three years in NFL history. So yes, he's going to be. He is the greatest quarterback ever. He still has room to improve. He says it, the head coach says it that you love and trust. So it's okay if we say it as well too. And you can think it as well too as a fan. There were opportunities that he missed. There were opportunities that his teammates missed by dropping footballs and not being on time in their routes and not Running their routes fully. Everyone can improve, including Caleb Williams. He knows that. So let's put that to bed. Now he can increase and get better at completing some of the simpler passes that he missed.
- [31:05]
Dan Bernstein
I guess I haven't seen the same.
- [31:06]
Matt Abeticola
Pushback that, you know, it's just some YouTube comments. It's just like in a couple of emails. And again, you know, we don't. We don't take calls and have opportunities to argue with people and have those fun sports debates, which I really miss. And I wish we did it because it was one of the highlights of my 17 years at the store.
- [31:23]
Dan Bernstein
Do you still have the phone? Did they ever at least present you with the broken black plastic phone that you could just have as a. As an outlet?
- [31:32]
Matt Abeticola
I wish now in the moment, I wish I would have taken it because I would have it on display somewhere down here, but. But I don't have it. That was. Man, that was just.
- [31:41]
Dan Bernstein
I knew, I knew it was a rough day because we couldn't because it was, you know the soundproofed between the producer studio. But you'd always push or there was the day. Do you remember the punching bag? There was a. Oh yeah.
- [31:56]
Matt Abeticola
With a big suction cup.
- [31:58]
Dan Bernstein
Okay, there's a punch. A punching bag with a suction cup. It was the perfect thing for a while because it was like stuck. You'd stick it either to the desk or to the window or to the back of the door and it gave you something you could just punch. And then one day. Was it you or was it Goff?
- [32:15]
Matt Abeticola
I don't remember.
- [32:17]
Dan Bernstein
A big wind up bolo punch. And the punching bag. Unsuction cupped. It disengaged because of the force of the blow.
- [32:31]
Matt Abeticola
Yeah, it's probably. Probably Jason. He's.
- [32:32]
Dan Bernstein
And it. And it flipped and flipped and flipped and it sort of cartwheeled through the air and stuck perfectly on the inside of the studio door. Yeah, that was awesome.
- [32:45]
Matt Abeticola
Yeah, I did. I missed that. The one as. I just thought of this now as you as I'm picturing that thing flying through the air. Do you remember the time we sent the intern out to McDonald's and it came back for Baldy McGrindy and it was. No, it was cheese. No, no, no. That was a different story. That was molla. This one.
- [33:04]
Dan Bernstein
That was momola. It was like this weather.
- [33:08]
Matt Abeticola
That was for me and Lawrence and, and he, he, he went to McDonald's and he, he didn't go to the one right across Michigan Avenue. He walked, I don't know, like miles away. And he came back, and it was like he had icicles.
- [33:20]
Dan Bernstein
Stuff looked like at the end, a dumb and dumber when they're riding the bike.
- [33:23]
Matt Abeticola
That's exactly what it was.
- [33:24]
Dan Bernstein
That's what he looked like.
- [33:25]
Matt Abeticola
Like the food was ice cold because he'd been gone for like an hour and a half.
- [33:30]
Dan Bernstein
What was he doing?
- [33:31]
Matt Abeticola
Yeah, he just. He just. We were like, where'd you go? And he told us. We were like, there's one right across Michigan Avenue. Five minutes away.
- [33:40]
Dan Bernstein
Alberta.
- [33:41]
Matt Abeticola
It was the. It was Baldy McGrindy. And the intern got. And got cheeseburgers and he wanted hamburgers, and he took the piece. You know how McDonald's cheese doesn't fully melt? Yep. So he pulled it off, and it was full of ketchup and mustard and onions. And he threw it into the garbage can, but he missed. And it hit the wall. And it was the soundproofing material on the wall, so it was like cloth, and so it just stuck to it. And then there was, like, stains of mustard and ketchup and onions just sliding down the wall. Oh, yeah. I just thought of that as you.
- [34:11]
Dan Bernstein
He could have run for president. You know, he didn't. He didn't even know. Oh, boy. He would have been perfect for the job. Yeah. He didn't like cheese. Doesn't. I don't know that he ever got over it or saw it also. But yeah, he. And if. And if the order came wrong, it happened with a sub sandwich, too, where. If it touched. If cheese touched it, it ruined everything. It was. He was like. Like me with the TV dinners when I was a kid, where they had to warn the babysitter.
- [34:39]
Matt Abeticola
Oh. Where stuff couldn't touch or.
- [34:41]
Dan Bernstein
Okay.
- [34:41]
Matt Abeticola
Well, that's why it was convenient, though, because the TV dinners came in the little. They had the different compartments.
- [34:47]
Dan Bernstein
If it didn't look like it did on the box when I was a kid, and I would get either the Salisbury steak or the. Or the turkey. The Swanson Hungry Man. I don't know if they had Hungry man at the time. I think it was just regular Swanson. But if there was, because, you know, you'd get the mixed carrots and peas.
- [35:04]
Matt Abeticola
Yep.
- [35:05]
Dan Bernstein
And there would be the mashed potatoes over here, and they'd have the cobbler in the top middle, like a blueberry little baked cobbler. If there was a carrot or a pea that ended up in the entree area. If anything touched the cobbler, if there was, I would apparently freak out and murder the babysitter. Well, the babysitter had to be warned, like when it comes out of the oven, take a tweezer, if you have to, and replace everything as it is and make it look like the box. There was that. And, and for me, I love craft slices. Individual American craft slices.
- [35:46]
Matt Abeticola
Yep.
- [35:47]
Dan Bernstein
But if a corner was broken, the day was ruined. I learned a lot about this in therapy. Okay. A lot.
- [35:57]
Matt Abeticola
It probably was a good thing that we didn't, like, we weren't brothers growing up in the same house, because I would have. I would have done things just to.
- [36:04]
Dan Bernstein
To torture you, but it would ruin your day as well.
- [36:07]
Matt Abeticola
I would have thrown a pea and a carrot inside your blueberry cobbler.
- [36:10]
Dan Bernstein
I bet you would have.
- [36:11]
Matt Abeticola
I would have ripped the edge off the craft single. Yep.
- [36:15]
Dan Bernstein
But they. I'm telling you, it would have. You would have stopped doing it because it wasn't good for anyone when something like that happened because it threw things. The universe was wrong. Things were thrown off, and I was not equipped to deal with it. And that there were certain things that. That have bedeviled me throughout.
- [36:34]
Matt Abeticola
You learned about this in therapy recently?
- [36:37]
Dan Bernstein
Relatively. I mean, I always knew about it, but it was always like, my parents tell the story. It's like, oh, ha, ha ha. He was always so picky when it came to the TV dinners. And then, you know, when you start talking about it with a professional, and I'm like, yeah, well, let's, let's use that as a jumping off point for some other things and ask some questions about it and try to remember why things had to look like they were presented to you or when. When you would see something in a television commercial and you'd want to order it or the back of a comic book, and you're like, ooh, x ray specs. Let's order those. And the lessons that are learned over time in life, when things aren't what they're promised to be or things aren't what they seem and you're let down by things. There's a lot of, A lot of little threads here.
- [37:23]
Matt Abeticola
It's interesting. Yeah, I, I, I don't like. I, I was. When I was younger, I didn't like my food to touch, like, on the same plate.
- [37:29]
Dan Bernstein
I still don't like food to touch. Well, your, Your food I don't care about. I generally don't like mine to touch either.
- [37:34]
Matt Abeticola
Yeah. I'm okay with it now. It's not as bad. But I, I have, like, even, like, like, Like a Thanksgiving dinner is a great example. I eat one item at a time. Like, I'm not eating multiple things that Like, I'm certainly not mixing things together and taking like a big spoonful of, like, potatoes and corn and stuffing together. But I'll eat, like one item at a time off the plate. So I'll take down the corn first and then the potatoes and then maybe the stuffing. But yeah, I eat it. One thing.
- [38:04]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah, I don't like anything to bleed together either. I used to love when we would go out for Chinese and I would take rice and I would make, like, walls. I would make little battlements.
- [38:14]
Matt Abeticola
Oh, God.
- [38:16]
Dan Bernstein
What? That's great. No, I would use. I would use rice because you didn't want, like, orange beef touching mushu pork, touching the shrimp with sizzling rice. Those other things, those are different flavors.
- [38:32]
Matt Abeticola
It's funny though, because this is. I grew up, so I would eat. My dad would order Chinese food. My mom never ordered Chinese food.
- [38:38]
Dan Bernstein
My dad would order Chinese food always. My dad would. We'd sit down to be a lazy Susan. My dad would order things and they would spin around and you would take what came to you.
- [38:47]
Matt Abeticola
So my dad ordered one thing. So growing up until I was an adult, I didn't realize that Chinese restaurants served more than one dish. I thought Chinese restaurants all served chop Sudan suey.
- [38:57]
Dan Bernstein
Really?
- [38:57]
Matt Abeticola
That's. That's all my dad ever ordered was chop suey.
- [39:00]
Dan Bernstein
I've never.
- [39:01]
Matt Abeticola
You're getting Chinese food, you're getting chop suey. Like, okay, so that's what. Yeah, it's chop suey and then rice. And then I remember as an adult, I'd go. And I was like, wow, they have. What is this? They have more than chop Suey. There's like 75 items here.
- [39:14]
Dan Bernstein
I. We always had, like, when we would go, we. We would eat Chinese relatively often. We go to Ulins in Highland park. Like every other Sunday night. We'd go with the eight of us, like my mom's sister's family. And we'd all sort of get together and sit around a big eight person table. And both my dad and my uncle would order for the table. And everybody knew what a Chinese dinner was. And it was steamed dumplings or pot stickers, or sometimes steam dumplings and pot stickers. Then it would be soup. It would be usually hot and sour soup. We'd always get that. And then when the entrees came, it was. There was some mix of mushu pork, kung pao chicken. There'd always be a spicy. There'd always be like a shrimp, a pork, a chicken, like one of each protein item. But we would make sure to have different flavors Different. Some mild, some spicy. I mean that's, that's how you know. And if on your plate you'd build.
- [40:17]
Matt Abeticola
A little compartment of rice.
- [40:19]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah, correct, correct. Because you don't want a shrimp and lobster sauce to be touching sesame chicken. And certainly not if you had the spicy kung Pao something. You don't want that leaking over into your mushu pancake.
- [40:33]
Matt Abeticola
Give it to me. Make it hurt.
- [40:37]
Dan Bernstein
Oh, buddy. Give me that. That Firecracker. I wanted the poor woman like. Okay. And they did. And they did.
- [40:49]
Matt Abeticola
Yes.
- [40:49]
Dan Bernstein
That. That was a night. It wasn't Randy Johnson there that night when we walked in.
- [40:55]
Matt Abeticola
Oh, I don't remember that.
- [40:57]
Dan Bernstein
I think so. It was a place called Firecracker. I remember the name of the place. And they were known. They were known for spicy better than I do. Yeah, no, I don't. I really don't. I know it was one of those nights where we had a second dinner and then a third dinner on the way home from the second dinner. We went. We went to the Jack in the Box drive thru after Waffle House.
- [41:18]
Matt Abeticola
That's good thing we were young, right? Younger. Yeah. It was all the food we ate after 11pm Oh, I know.
- [41:25]
Dan Bernstein
But that's what it was the best.
- [41:27]
Matt Abeticola
Yeah. I still, I'll never forget the. Was it Houston with the, the Mexican place where like you couldn't see the tabletop? Like a table for six?
- [41:36]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah, they were open till four in the morning, I think.
- [41:38]
Matt Abeticola
Yeah. I mean it was a table big enough for six people and we, with the two of us, it had enough food.
- [41:44]
Dan Bernstein
You couldn't see the tabletop the whole entire. It's like the scene in diner when the guy's going like he ordered the entire left side of the menu.
- [41:50]
Matt Abeticola
Yep.
- [41:50]
Dan Bernstein
And that, that was because everything sounded good.
- [41:53]
Matt Abeticola
Yeah, well, everything. Everything did sound good.
- [41:56]
Dan Bernstein
And it was. And it was inexpensive and we got to expense it, which is so as long as whatever the iteration of CBS or Infinity or whatever.
- [42:05]
Matt Abeticola
I think it was CBS at the time.
- [42:06]
Dan Bernstein
Giant godforsaken evil corporation. It was. Was kind enough. Kind enough to pick up our Mexican dinners. Yeah.
- [42:15]
Matt Abeticola
How many people went to this dinner?
- [42:16]
Dan Bernstein
Oh, just two. Just. Just two. We were very hungry.
- [42:20]
Matt Abeticola
Yes, we were.
- [42:21]
Dan Bernstein
All right, that sounds good. I'm hungry now.
- [42:23]
Matt Abeticola
All right, I'm going to recap here real quick. I have Seattle and New England winning this weekend, going to the Super Bowl.
- [42:31]
Dan Bernstein
If Seattle and New England. I think, I think this is, this is Jarrett Stidham's world and we're all living in it. So I am going to take the Denver Broncos and Seattle. And Seattle wins the Super Bowl.
- [42:45]
Matt Abeticola
All right, Wait, who? Mike and Mike and Sean. And is it Mike and Mike? Sean and Sean are the head coaches.
- [42:58]
Dan Bernstein
Sean McVeigh.
- [42:59]
Matt Abeticola
Sean McVeigh.
- [43:00]
Dan Bernstein
Mike McDonald.
- [43:01]
Matt Abeticola
Mike.
- [43:02]
Dan Bernstein
Sean Payton and Mikel.
- [43:04]
Matt Abeticola
Oh, yeah. So it's. You think it. So I, I have it. I have it down as Mike. Mike against Mike. Who did I say.
- [43:16]
Dan Bernstein
I got? I've got Sean Payton against Mike McDonald. Yeah.
- [43:21]
Matt Abeticola
And I have, I have Mike vrabel and Mike McDonald. Okay, Mike.
- [43:26]
Dan Bernstein
Mike versus Mike. Okay. And we do. When are they announcing Coach of the Year?
- [43:33]
Matt Abeticola
I don't know, but Ben Johnson's up for it.
- [43:35]
Dan Bernstein
Is this finalist bit like the Gold Glove finalists or the high. Yeah, they know who the do the voters are. They just giving you the top five.
- [43:44]
Matt Abeticola
I don't know how it works. Yeah, so it's eight. AP Coach of the Year. He's a finalist for it. And then the MVPs came out and Caleb's not in it.
- [43:51]
Dan Bernstein
So someday, Someday soon.
- [43:54]
Matt Abeticola
Yeah, someday soon. Did you see. I, I, I saw this the other day. The super bowl. Super Bowl 61. That'll be in February of 27. Is on Valentine's Day.
- [44:07]
Dan Bernstein
Wow.
- [44:08]
Matt Abeticola
Yeah. Yeah. Second Sunday of the month is Valentine's Day, so February 14th. Yeah.
- [44:13]
Dan Bernstein
Valentine's Day has really ceased to mean anything.
- [44:18]
Matt Abeticola
Which also the national championship game will be January 25th in 27. So you have a January 25th college championship and a February 14th NFL championship. Just getting later and later.
- [44:33]
Dan Bernstein
Well, then it'll, it'll start adding up as a sign of spring because the PGA season has started, as you know, so that's always.
- [44:40]
Matt Abeticola
Oh, I've been watching indoor golf. The indoor golf league.
- [44:42]
Dan Bernstein
I can't watch this. You're not watching that really, are you?
- [44:45]
Matt Abeticola
I'm not. I, I start. I did it first just to see Tiger, but I just, I have, I dropped out right away.
- [44:50]
Dan Bernstein
No, it feels like hanging out. It's like hanging out. Dave and Busters with a bunch of.
- [44:55]
Matt Abeticola
Bros. Yeah, like the Pavia brothers.
- [44:58]
Dan Bernstein
No, not I, I would go to David. Does David Busters exist anywhere? Oh, yeah.
- [45:03]
Matt Abeticola
No, we have one in the Hawthorne Mall.
- [45:06]
Dan Bernstein
Is the one on Clark street still there?
- [45:09]
Matt Abeticola
I couldn't tell you. I just know there's one of them all that we go to.
- [45:11]
Dan Bernstein
Okay. Because. Yeah. No Pavia brothers at that. That might actually be fun.
- [45:16]
Matt Abeticola
Yeah. The Dave and Buster's, though. It's like when the six of us go and we eat there too. It's like a, that's like a Thousand dollar night.
- [45:22]
Dan Bernstein
What? Oh, it's insane for chicken fingers.
- [45:27]
Matt Abeticola
Well, dude, we. These kids don't eat chicken fingers.
- [45:31]
Dan Bernstein
Well, they don't have a damn choice.
- [45:33]
Matt Abeticola
And multiple meals.
- [45:35]
Dan Bernstein
Oh, if you're going to take them for steaks, you, come on, take them for a real steak. There's got to be someplace near you.
- [45:40]
Matt Abeticola
That can make you go for the games. And then food just happens to be something you have to do.
- [45:45]
Dan Bernstein
Okay, so they're playing. What are they playing skeeball out for?
- [45:48]
Matt Abeticola
We're not going to food there. It would just happen that, okay, we're here, we might as well just eat while we're here.
- [45:53]
Dan Bernstein
It's like being at a ball game.
- [45:55]
Matt Abeticola
Yes.
- [45:57]
Dan Bernstein
And that's $1,000. I understand that I get. Because you got the tickets and the whole thing. I don't know. That's. That's a big number there, man. That's. That's a lot. Well, that's gonna do it for forward progress.
- [46:08]
Matt Abeticola
So. This first weekend without a post game show. I'm sad.
- [46:11]
Dan Bernstein
I know. I am too. I'm gonna miss it. I'm gonna miss it. Well, we. Theoretically, we could do whatever we want. You know, anytime you. You feel like it. I'm right here. If you just want to say, hey, you want to go in and talk about something? This game just ended. You know, I'm down. Okay, we'll see around. It depends on the condition I'm in.
- [46:28]
Matt Abeticola
I might even check my schedule too. I might have. I think I have like eight basketball games on Sunday.
- [46:32]
Dan Bernstein
We'll see. Well, if I. If I show up and you say, let's come on, and my hair's all messed up and I'm not wearing pants, then you'll just shut it down and say, go back to what you were doing.
- [46:41]
Matt Abeticola
Yeah, all the, all the kids stuff was canceled today. School practices later tonight. Basketball games were canceled. It's cold outside. Make sure you wear a coat.
- [46:52]
Dan Bernstein
Coat. Drive, go to Tony Mills.
- [46:55]
Matt Abeticola
Book on your head.
- [46:56]
Dan Bernstein
Put a book on you. Somebody actually sent me a weather report that had something to do with like, how many books you should read because you're going to be inside all weekend. And it was some partnership with a literacy program to say with all the. No school, so you should be home and reading. And he said, if you just glance at it, you can interpret it as this. It's so called. How many books should you put on your head?
- [47:20]
Matt Abeticola
3.
- [47:20]
Dan Bernstein
I'm thinking about it. Like one on each foot and one over your head. And don't forget cayenne pepper. In your socks.
- [47:29]
Matt Abeticola
All right, that's for progress.
- [47:30]
Dan Bernstein
All right. Bye.
- [47:31]
Matt Abeticola
See ya, Ford.
- [47:32]
Dan Bernstein
Progress has stopped.
- [47:40]
Matt Abeticola
Forward progress. A chicago bears podcast with dan bernstein and matt abeticola on 312 sports.